Elevator



C. C. CRISPEN Aug. 3, 1937.

ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS A Aug. 3, 1937. c. c. cRlsPEN ELEVATOR 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1955 INVENTCR BY qw .liiilii uiilnllliin Il ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEVAT'OR Clarence C. Crispen, Harrisburg, Pa., assigner to Inclinator Company of America, Harrisburg,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and novel elevator or lift of Very simple construction which particularly adapts the same for installation in places where the space available is limited, such as private homes, for example.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an elevator or lift so constructed as to reduce the cost of manufacture and installation to a minimum commensurate with good appearance and safety.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a construction which enables an installation to be made in a finished building, the stair well of a private home, for example, without spoiling the appearance of the room in which the elevator is installed and without marring or defacing the building.

In general my improved construction comprises a single vertically extending rail which receives a roller block or truck attached to the car platform, the rail supporting and guiding the car for movement vertically thereof, this same rail supporting the power unit or hoisting machine by which the car is driven. The bed plate of the hoisting machine is so constructed as to lit over' the top of the single rail, the hoisting machine being so disposed vwith reference to the rail that a minimum of anchorage of t he bed plate to the rail is required. This permits of readily enclosing the hoisting machine or power unit so that the whole will present a very neat appearance.

This arrangement also facilitates installation as compared with prior suggestions where the power plant or hoisting machine is placed in the basement of the building.

It is to be distinctly understood that my improved machine may be installed in any type of building and its use, therefore, is not confined to private homes. I have mentioned its adaptability for installation in private homes merely t0 emphasize the simplicity and good construction of my apparatus or machine where ease of installation is an important factor.

In the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of my invention has been illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary part sectional View of a portion of a house or building having an open stairway and showing my improved elevator installed in the stair well;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view showing the hoisting machine, rail, etc. on an enlarged scale with respect tothe other figures of the drawings; vand. f

Fig. 5 is a top plan View.

Referring to the drawings in detail, l designates the car which, as will be understood, may 5 be of any desired construction and comprises a car platform or floor 2. lIhe car is adapted to be supported and guided for movement from one floor to another by a single vertically extending rail designated 3. The rail, as will be understood, 10 may be placed in vertical position in any desired location within a house or building and may be secured to a post of wood or metal Il anchored, for example, to the ioor of the building, the rail extending for a short distance above the top of 15 the car landing, as shown in Fig. l, for instance. The rail 3 may be bolted, screwed or otherwise rigidly secured to this post. v

At one side of the rail Isecure a counterweight well or enclosure 5.

The rail 3 above referred to comprises a rear wall 6, side walls 'l and front flanges 8, the latter extending toward each other, and the whole construction providing a channel formation.

The car platform 2 extends into the rail be. 25 tween the flanges 8, as shown in Fig. 3, and is rigidly attached to a roller truck or block 9. 'Ihis block or truck is equipped with a set of upper and lower rollers l0 journaled on the block and located between the rear wall 6 and the front 30 flanges 8 of the rail, being adapted to engage the opposing inner guiding surfaces of these members.

The block 9 also carries a second set of upper and lower rollers Il adapted to engage the op- 35 posing inner guiding surfaces of the sides 'l 'of the rail 3.

By this construction it will be appreciated the car platform, which extends at right angles to the rail 3, will be guided and supported by the rail `4,0 for Vertical movement relatively thereto.

As above pointed out one of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of a simplified construction whereby the cost of installation is materially reduced as compared 45 with prior constructions. Consequently so far as the present structure is concerned instead of mounting the hoisting machine in the basement, for example, I propose to mount the same on the top or upper end of the rail 3. This hoisting machine comprises a bed plate l3'provided on its underside with downwardly extending flanges I4 and l5 so designed as to t over the top of the rail and to be bolted thereto, as shown in Fig. 4. On the `bed plate I3 I mount the hoisting machine; .55

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which comprises motor I5, brake I6 and sheave I 'I driven as for example through worm and gear drive, merely diagrammatically shown, from the motor I5 as will be understood.

'I'he cables I8 which are attached to the block 9 and to the counterweight I2, which is suspended in the counterweight well 5, above referred to, pass over the traction sheave I1, as will be seen from Figs. 4 and 5, for instance.

'I'he cable drum or traction sheave I1 is located directly above one side of the rail 3 so that the center of gravity of the combined weights of the car platform and counterweight I2 come directly over the rail in a manner requiring the minimum of anchorage. As illustrated in the drawings the bed plate I3 is anchored to the rear wall of the rail and to one side wall by bolts I9.

As an alternative to this type ofv hoisting machine I may eliminate the counterweight entirely and wind the cable on -a grooved drum, as will be understood by those skilled in this art.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown the rail 3 secured to the post 4 at one side of the open stairway of a house or building in such a position that the car platform may be raised and lowered between the lower floor 2i) and upper floor landing 2l so that passengers may be carried in either direction from one oor to the other. It will be understood that when the car platform 2 is down it rests upon the oor 20 and when raised the platform 2 is in a position flush with the floor 2li As mentioned above the car platform may be equipped with a suitable cage as usual and will of course be provided with a .door so that when the car is in raised position this door will be directly back of a door or gate provided inthe stair railing at'the upper Yfloor 2 I.

Inasmuch as the platform 2 of the elevator car extends at right angles to the single rail 3 and the platform is secured to the block or truck S the car and its load will be supported properly in the single rail due to the upper rollers .I0 bearing'against the front walls 8 of the rail and the lower rollers I0 bearing against the back wall 6 of the rail. 'Ihe engagement of the rollers II with the side walls of the rail prevents the block or truck 9 and the car platform from tilting laterally during the raising and lowering of the car.

Suitable well known conventional electrical switches may be employed at the two floors 20 and 2| and on the car itself for controlling the -hoisting machine for raising and lowering the car.

The truck 9 is provided with a locking member 22 pivoted at 23. The end of this member is provided With teeth 24 adapted to be raised into engagement with one side wall of the rail 3 'to force the rollers II at one side of the truck into engagement with the sides of the rail, thereby to lock the block or truck 9 and the car against movement. I'his is a safety feature operable, for example, in the event of breakage of the cables I8. The teeth 24 normally are held out of engagement with the rail due to the tension on the cables I8, but in the event of breakage of the "cables then the spring 25 will pivot the4 member .the car in its descent encounter an obstruction fof any kind.

It wlllbe seenv from all of the foregoing that escoping the sides and rear surfaces of said rail.

aoseao the present invention provides an extremely simple and inexpensive elevator machine particularly well suited for private house install-ation or Where it is desired to convey passengers or other load from one floor to another. 5

It will be appreciated that by employing a single rail for supporting and guiding the car for vertical movement and by mounting the hoisting machine on the top of this rail the cost of installation is reduced to a minimum.

It will be appreciated also that this construction permits the hoisting machine to be covered over so as not to present an unsightly appearance, and that by mounting the machine so that the traction pulley overlies one side of the rail the hoisting machine may be held in place with practically no anchorage at all. I have found in actual practice that two bolts placed as I have shown on the drawings afford ample anchorage for the hoisting machine.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts above described and shown in the accompanying drawings within the purview of my invention.

What I claim istl. In an elevator, the combination of a car platform, a hoisting machine for raising and loW- ering the same, a bed plate for said hoisting machine, a single vertically extending rail for sup- "3.9 porting said car platform and the said hoisting machine, the car platform extending at right angles to the rail, the hoisting machine bed plate tting over the top of the rail and being secured a thereto. QJ

2. In an elevator, the combination of a single vertically extending rail, a car platform extending from one side of the rail, means carried by the car platform and extending into the channel of said rail whereby the car platform is supf 40 ported for movement relatively to the rail, a hoisting machine including a counterweiglit for raising and lowering the car platform, said hoisting machine and the said counterweight being supported by said rail, the hoisting machine bev 45 ing mounted at the top of said rail, and a vertically extending counterweight well, lying beside said rail for receiving said counterweight.

3. In an elevator, the combination of a car platform, a hoisting machine for raising and lowl; 50 ering the car platform, a single vertically ex- `tending rail, a block secured to the car platform and extending into the channel of said rail whereby the car is supported for movement vertically of the rail, said housing machine beingmounted on the top of said single rail in line with said block. Y

4. In an elevator, the combination of a car platform, a hoisting machine for raising and lowering the same, a single vertically extending rail, f A,60

a block secured to the Icar and extending into the channel of the rail and provided with rollers engaging the rail surfaces thereby to support the vcar platform for movement vertically of said rail, said hoisting machine being mounted on ther-y v65 top of said single rail in line with said block.

5. In an elevator, the combination of a car platform, a hoisting machine for raising and lowering the car platform, a single vertically extending rail for supporting the said car platform,

VYa bed plate for said hoisting machine, said bed plate being mounted at the top of said rail and provided with downwardly extending flanges tel- CLARENCE C. CRISPEN- .fz-

Fatemi No. 2,088,690. August 5, 1957.

CLARENCE C. CRSPEN.,

in he jpiimed specification Ii is hereby Ceriified 'that eor e@ of 'the ebove numbered peinent 'g follows: Page 2, second column, line 55, ing" hoisting; and met seid Lettere hier@ be with coyrecion therein i12-it *he may eonolm 15o the 1re-cem. of @eee in the Paent Office.

of Sopembe De "i957".

Henry Van Aredale Awning Commissioner of Patems. 

